Box-motion for looms.



PATENTED DEC. 18, 1904.

W. A. FOWLER.

BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1903.

4 SHBETS-SHEI1T 1.

NO MODEL.

III" if m o l II "l m ,i D" ll ll vizmzzmfmk 9 C910? tllll i5 will"! i I I 1!! hlllll u m m-1 Illlll Humll nlllllllllllll PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

W. A. FOWLER.

BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLIGATIOH FILED JUNE 10. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

No. 777,196. PATENTED DEG. 13, 1904.

W. A. FOWLER.

BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-*SHBET 3.

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/ d I "I PATENTED DEC. 13, 190 1.

W. A. FOWLER.

BOX MOTION FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 4 N0 MODEL.

WZZZWMWZW l az fw ifgesss UNITED STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BOX-MOTION FOR LOOIVISH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,196, dated December 13, 1904;. Application filed June 10, 1903. Serial No. 160,879. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury, in the county of Rowan and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and use ful Box-Motion for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in looms, and more particularly to the mechanism employed for raising and lowering the shuttle-box in order to present shuttles carrying wefts of different color to the shed.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a shuttle-box-operating mechanism in which all of the parts are readily accessible for convenience in examination, in making necessary repairs, and for such adjustment as from time to time may be necessary when the pattern-chain hangs up or when the weft fails in any of the shuttles.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism in which provision is made for yielding of the parts in the event of unexpected resistance, as in thefailure of the pattern-chain to properly operate or should it become necessary to suddenly stop the operation of the loom, and in this connection to provide for the stopping of the shuttle-boxoperating mechanism as soon as the weft fails, the stopping being accomplished directly by the weft-fork and as an auxiliary to the beltshifting apparatus which the weft-fork usually sets into operation.

With these and'other objects in view, as will more fully appear hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shuttle-box-operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, the loom-frame being shown in outline. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the to indicate corresponding parts throughout" the several figures of the drawings.

1 indicates a frame, preferably formed of cast metal and bolted to the side of the loom, the frame extending from the cam-shaft to about the loom-arch and serving as a support for all the working parts of the shuttle-boxoperating mechanism forming the subject of the present invention.

The frame 1 carries suitable bearings for the support of a vertical shaft 2, to which are secured a plurality of bevel-gears 3, 1, and, 5. The bevel-gears 3 and 4 intermesh with bevelgears 6, which are secured to cylinder-gears ,7, the latter intermeshing with the usual vi brator-gears 8. The vibrator-gears are carried by vibrators 9 of the usual character, said vibrators being pivoted to the frame of the loom and being locked in operative posi tion by the usual latch 11. To the vib *atorgears are attached the usual connectors 12, which operate in the ordinary manner to effect the raising and lowering of the shuttlebox mechanism.

The lower bevel-gear is in mesh with a bevel-gear 13, mounted on a shaft 14, that also carries an eccentric gear 15, operated from an eccentric gear 16 on the slow-moving camshaft 17 ofthe loom,it being preferred to operate from this shaft owing to the ease with which it may be stopped when necessary,- and in this connection provision is made for stopping the rotative movement of the shaft on the failure of the weft, the stopping movement occurring as an auxiliary to the stopping motion set into operation by the weft-fork usually employed in all looms. The pattern-chain shaft 20 is driven by means of suitable gearing from a shaft 21, arranged parallel with said pattern-chain shaft, and both shafts are mounted in suitable bearings or supports on the frame 1. The shaft 21 carries a bevelgear 22, with which intermeshes a similar gear 23, carried by a vertical shaft 24, the upper end of which passes through a suitable bearing in abracket 25, the lower end of said shaft being stepped in an opening formed in the upper end of'the main shaft 2. To the shaft 24 is rigidly secured a disk 26, which rests on top of the hub of bevel-gear 3, and at a point above the disk 26 is secured a second disk 27. The two disks are provided with alining openings for the reception of a vertically-disposed locking-bolt 28, the lower end of which is received in a suitable opening formed in the top of the bevel-wheel hub 3 and normally held in engagement therewith by means of a suitable compression-spring 30. The locking-bolt is provided with an inclined or tapering end portion so disposed within the recess of the bevel-wheel hub that should the pattern-chain hang up or oifer unexpected resistance the bevel-wheel hub will be allowed to continue its rotative movement, the inclined end of the locking-bolt being forced upward to unlock the disk 26 and in this manner prevent breaking or injury to any of the head-gear. The upper end of the bolt 28 is pivotally connected to a cam-lever 32, which bears on top of the disk 27. The cam -lever normally occupies a vertical position, the bolt being in locking engagement with the bevel-wheel hub; but when necessary the weaver may depress this cam-lever, and thus raise the bolt to unlocking position and stop the operation of the pattern-chain mechanism. This latch permits ready adjustment of the pattern-chain in case of hang up or should it become necessary to move shots inserted after the failure of one of the wefts. This adjustment may be accomplished by means of a small crank-disk 35, secured to one end of the shaft 21 and arranged Within convenient reach of the weaver, the disconnection of the mechanism from the main shaft 2 permitting the ready adjustment of the pattern-chain to the desired. position.

The pattern-chain operates in the usual manner on levers or vibrators 38, which are connected by rods 39 to the vibratory levers 9, said rods extending through suitable guidingopenings in a bracket 25, which is secured to or formed integral with the frame 1, and said rod is normally held depressed by a coiled compression-spring 11, the upper end of which bears against said bracket. The pattern-chain shaft is held in bearings in horizontally-disposed bracket-arms carried by the frame 1 and is arranged at one side of and parallel with the shaft 21, so that the pattern-chain will hang free of all obstructions and its movement will not in any manner be interfered with.

The mechanism operates in the usual manner to move the shuttle-box; but it-will be observed that all portions of the mechanism are readily accessible, the construction of the parts being simple and permitting ready adjustment by the lever, while repairs may be made,as in the substitution of one of the broken parts, without the necessity of employing skilled labor.

In order to stop the operation of the shuttleboX motion in the event of failure of the weft, the filling-fork serves to set into operation a direct stop for the box-motion, as well as shifting the belt to the loose pulley on the main shaft in the usual manner.

50 designates the usual rock-shaft, carried by the breast-beam of the loom and rocked when the filling-fork or other stop-motion mechanisms operate. .To one end of the shaft 50 is secured a rocker-arm 51, connected by a rod, cord, or chain 52 to a stop-pawl 53, pivoted to the frame at a point adjacent to the notched disk 56, mounted on the cam-shaft 17 of the loom. The cam-shaft 17 is extended outward and at some distance beyond the frame is provided with a reduced end portion 57, on which is placed a collar 58, having flanges 59 and arranged one at each end. This collar is held in place by a clamping-nut 61, fitting on a threaded portion of the shaft, and the,

shaft and collar are locked together for rotative movement by a pin 62, extending from the flange 60 to an opening in the end portion of the camshaft. The eccentric gear 16, previously referred to, and the notched disk 56 are mounted loosely on the cam-shaft and are locked together by a transverselydisposed pin 63. The flanges 59 and 60 are provided with alining openings for the passage of a locking-bolt 65, having an inclined portion 66 fitting within a correspondingly-shaped recess in a portion of the eccentric gear 16 in such manner as to lock the collar to the gearwheel during the operation of the mechanism. The outer end of the locking-bar is provided with a cam-lever 67, which may be turned to disengage the inclined portion 66 from the eccentric gear and permit free rotation of the cam-shaft. The locking bar or bolt is normally held in engaging position by a spring 70, coiled around the bar and bearing at one end against a collar 71, which may be adjusted to alter the stress of the spring.

When the dagger 7 O strikes the knock-off lever 72 and moves the shaft 50 to operate the shipper-lever in the usual manner, the pawl 53 will be allowed to fall into engagement with the notch in disk 56 and positively stop the movement of the shuttle-box mechanism. This sudden movement will cause the bar to slide outward until its inclined portion 66 is disengaged from the notch or recess in the eccentric gear 16, and thus unlock both the eccentric gear and disk 56 from the camshaft of the loom, so that the cam-shaft may as their construction and operation are well known in the art.

Fig. 6 illustrates a slight modification of the relief mechanism. In this case the camshaft 17 carries a spring bearing against a sleeve 7 5, keyed on the shaft and provided with a projecting tongue 76, adapted to en gage a corresponding recess in the hub 7 7 of the eccentric gear 16, so that in the event of stoppage of the shuttle-box motion from any cause, as from a hang-up of the pattern-chain, the cam-shaft will continue to rotate, the tongue 7 6 leaving the recess, and by permitting free movement of the cam-shaft avoid all danger or breakage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a mechanism of the class described, cylinder-gears, vibrator-gears and vibrators, connections between the vibrator-gears and the shuttle box lift rod, a vertical shaft, gearing between said vertical shaft and the cylinder-gears, a pattern-chain shaft, gearing including a giveway connection between the vertical shaft and the pattern-chain shaft, a cam-shaft, gearing connections between the cam-shaft and the vertical shaft and including a giveway connection, and stopping mechanism for cooperation with said giveway connection of the cam-shaft, substantially as specilied.

2. In mechanism of the class described, cylinder-gears, a vertical shaft having means for driving the cylinder-gears, a recessed hub or collar carried by said vertical shaft, a second vertical shaft mounted above the first and provided with a pair of disks having bolt-guiding openings, a spring-pressed bolt passing through said openings and adapted to enter the recess in the hub or collar, and a patternchain shaft having operative connection with the second vertical shaft;

3. In mechanism of the class described, cylinder-gears, a vertical shaft having operative connection with the cylinder-gears, a second vertical shaft disposed above the first, a recessed hub or collar secured to the first shaft, a pair of disks secured to the second shaft and provided with guiding-openings, a springpressed bolt disposed in the openings and. adapted to enter the recess, a cam-lever for moving the bolt to unlocking position, a pattern-chain shaft, and an auxiliary shaft for operating the same, intermeshing bevel-gears carried by the auxiliary shaft and the second vertical shaft, and a crank carried by the auxiliary shaft for permitting manual adjustment thereof, substantially as specified.

a. In mechanism of the class described, cylinder-gears, a supporting-frame, a vertical shaft adapted to hearings in said frame and having a recessed upper end, gearing connections between the shaft and the cylinder-gears, a second vertical shaft stepped in the recess of the first shaft and having an upper bearing in the frame, a recessed hub or collar secured to the first shaft, a pair of disks carried by the second shaft and provided withguiding-openings, a bolt adapted to said guiding-openings, a cam-lever connected to the top of the bolt and bearing on the upper of the disks, a helical spring surrounding the bolt and serving to hold the same in engagement with the recess,a pattern-chain shaft, an auxiliary shaft having operative connection therewith, bevelgears carried by the auxiliary shaft anda second vertical shaft and. intermeshing with each other, and a crank-disk secured to the auxiliary shaft for permitting manual adjustment thereof, substantially as specified.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, a frame secured to the loom, a vertical shaft adapted to bearings in said frame, a shuttleboX, a chain-operating mechanism having operative connection with the shaft, a cam-shaft, an eccentric gear mounted on the cam-shaft and having a giveway connection therewith, a counter -shaft adapted to hearings in the frame and provided with an eccentric gear intermeshing with the gear, on the cam-shaft, and gearing connections between the countershaft and the vertical shaft, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I' have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM A. FOIVLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN WR GHT DAVIS, JAMES MoDAvis. 

